10/06/09 Circuses with Wild Animals are Banned by Law

Animal Friends protests in front of a circus with animals because of the violation of the Animal Protection Act

After a great number of protests by citizen's and civic organization's, the Animal Protection Act banned circuses with wild animals while 29 cities in Croatia adopted even more restrictive decision and banned circuses with all animals. Despite of the very strict, clear and commonly known ban, there is a circus with wild animals in Croatian's capital Zagreb right now. This fact shows the status of the implementation of the Animal Protection Act in Croatia and fully justifies the launch of the petition for an urgent reform of the veterinary inspection. The Animal Protection Act should fully protect wild animals from exploitation in circuses, not only from performances but also from the heavy travelling and hard life in circuses as well. According to the Animal Protection Act circuses with wild animals are not allowed to even step on the territory of Republic of Croatia.

Article 53, paragraph 1 of Animal Protection Act says: "It is prohibited to keep wild animals in circuses and use them in circus performances and other performances involving animals."

In order to fully prevent manipulations with the Act, in Article 3, paragraph 26 circuses are excluded from natural and legal persons who are permited to exhibit animals.

Animal Friends protests in front of the Circus Safari on the east parking lot of the Zagreb Fair on Tuesday, October 6, at 7:30 P.M., warning about violation of the Animal Protection Act and calling citizens not to visit the circus and so not to participate in animal abuse and violation of the Animal Protection Act.

Animal Friends files charges to the veterinary inspection and to the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, demanding an urgent intervention and implementation of the Animal Protection Act and also sends letters to the City of Zagreb, because the circus is on its territory. The same ban for circuses with wild animals from this year has also been enforced in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so authorities of this country consequently reject every request for circuses with animals to access their territory.

It is a shame that the Croatian Animal Protection Act, adopted nearly three years ago, is not yet implemented properly as it shoud be. Therefore, the organizations Animal Friends, Suza, Futura and others started a petition for an urgent reform of the veterinary inspection which should be familiar with the Act, should be more specialized, numerous, efficient and more willing to sanction animal abusers, irresponsible caretakers and all those who don't respect the law in any manner.

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Animal Friends is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 2001 with the aim to promote animal protection and animal rights as well as veganism, as ethical, ecological and healthy lifestyle.
Animal Friends Croatia is a member organization of EVU,
Eurogroup for Animals, ECEAE, FFA, IAFC and OIPA.